A metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) solid-state imaging device used as an imaging device such as a digital still camera includes a sensor in which multiple pixel cells are arranged two-dimensionally (e.g., arranged in an array). If data can be amplified near the sensor when read out from the sensor, it is possible to read out high S/N data. If the high S/N data can be read out, it is possible to obtain the added value that clear image with less noise can be achieved.
Moreover, as the size of pixel cells has been reduced in recent years following the increase in the number of pixels in an image sensor, the amount of signals which can be generated in the pixel cells has been decreasing. Therefore, improving S/N is strongly demanded. With these backgrounds, various proposals have been made to realize high S/N (e.g., see Patent Literature 1).